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Friday, January 22, 2010

Friday Morning Sermon

Well... it is 2am and I should really be in bed! I have been up marking stuff off the never ending to do list! I want to go to bed but ... I need to do what I am fixing to 'preach' to you about... so... I am!

This is something that has been on my heart all day!

Sometimes I blog about personal things... things about my relationship with God, things about my family issues, etc etc!

I think a lot of women may not blog about these kinds of things because they are 1. private people who don't feel the need to share or 2. are scared to share because of what others might think!

I just want to encourage you... if you are either one... to think and pray about what God would have you to share on your blog! Pray to God to lay on your heart the topics/words that He would like for you to talk about and share about.

I try to keep an open mind and heart and hear what it is that God wants me to do! If it is in my head and I can't seem to stop thinking about it... or sometimes... if I think about it once... I assume it something God wants me to share! Now... it may not always be! :) But... I assume it is and usually go ahead and say what is on my heart! When I have done that... a lot of times I notice that I will get a personal email (not just comments) from someone who feels that God wanted me to say those things just for them! This gives that person a chance to share with me what they are going through and gives me another opportunity to try to encourage in the name of God! Do I think that I can help everyone because of my infinite wisdom... NO WAY! Do I feel that God will use me if I allow Him to... FOR SURE! I have seen it too many times in the fairly short time that I have been blogging!

When I receive those emails... I know then.... I did what God wanted and not what Kelley wanted! It is not about me.... this life... it is about God!

I just want to encourage you to share... share your life experiences... share your struggles... share about your relationship with God! You don't have to get deep in details... especially if that makes you uncomfortable! Just pray for God to use you and your blog that you can be an encouragement to other women in their time of need! Sometimes it it nice just to know that other women go through the same things and have the same fears and 'issues' that you do! It may open up doors for a more personal and in depth conversation with women who need God to work through you... on their behalf!

Now... the second thing that has been on my heart!

Since my cancer issues.... my eyes have been opened to a lot of things that God did for me in preparation for that dark and scary time in my life.

A few months ago (pre- cancer awareness), I left a comment on a fellow blogger's blog stating how much I loved her scripture coasters. A few days later... she emailed me and wanted to send me a set of four for free. She (she didn't want to be named then and I am sure she still doesn't so... she it is)... would not accept payment for them. She said that God laid it on her heart to send me some coasters. I was able to pick from several scriptures that I wanted her to stamp on my coasters. All of the scriptures I chose, had to do with having faith and not being afraid!

The coaster that sits on my craft table and that I look at everyday reads:

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed for I AM YOUR GOD. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I WILL UPHOLD YOU with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Now... you tell me why God wanted her to send me these coasters?

Would the outcome of my surgery, etc... been the same if I hadn't received those coasters? Sure! If she hadn't given me those coasters, would I have missed out? Yes...

I would have missed out on this verse staring me in the face everyday in my time of need! I would have missed out on knowing that my God loves me so much that He was working to comfort me way before I knew I needed it! Man... my Daddy loves me! :)

If you feel God is leading you to do something... say something... give someone something... DO IT! Don't keep putting it off until the opportunity has been lost and God stops bothering you about it!

And... if someone wants to bless you.... let them! I fought with her for a few days over taking money for them. I felt horrible that she wanted to give them to me!

Don't take away someones opportunity to show God's love towards you! No matter how hard it is to take something for free! :)

I have one more story! A friend of mine (I hope if you read this... you are okay with me sharing), was pregnant... only 27 weeks or so. Her doctor called her out of the blue wanting her to come in for a check up. Her doctor felt that God was telling him to call her in for a check up! During the check up, they realized there were problems and the baby was taken right then. If she hadn't come in that day... her life would have been lost and so would the life of her precious child!

If that doctor hadn't been obedient to God... man... Praise God he was! Praise God that he wasn't too prideful to risk sounding silly or like a 'Jesus freak'! Praise God!

Well... I had to do it! If you made it this far... thanks for sticking around! :) Hopefully you will come back! Ha...

This 'sermon' has been on my heart all day and I literally couldn't go to bed until I was obedient!

Kelley, you are so right! And you know I agree with you because you know I've experienced that "gentle nudge" from God myself. I've been debating about blogging about it but need to check with the folks involved to be sure they don't object. You are an inspiration and I hope you know that!! Love you!!

Amen sister! I had chills the whole time reading your post! When I started my blog, I knew I had to share the love of Christ, or it would have been for vain glory! I knew that doing a card drive was BIG & scary, but I had faith that if He wanted me to do it, then it would happen! I had to let people know that it was Him, who wanted me to do it, because there is nothing good in me, without Him! He is so kind and loving and a gentelman, that He only wants the best for us and for us to share His love to others! Thank you for the post Kelley! I can sure see Him in you, and I know that's what you want! :)

Kelley, thank you so much for being obedient and sharing this. I am a private person, but I used to be *really* private. I didn't want people to know the real me because if they did, they could hurt the real me. I had a wall of defense around my heart. A few years ago the Lord really began to tear down those walls and had me share things with groups of women. And the more I opened up, the more these women opened up and there were strong godly bonds made between us. Things began to change for me and for them. The Lord did SO much! It's scary being vulnerable. It's down right uncomfortable at times, but if the Lord is saying GO or TALK, then we need to do just that. Obedience is SOOOOOOOOOO important in our walk with God. Sometimes I'm afraid still to share my heart or even about the Lord because of certain people in my life who hate God. I am afraid that they will disown me if I speak too much about Him. But the Lord has been helping me to be courageous! Praise God! Love you!!

I don't subscribe to your blog, nor do I regularly visit. I found you through a fluke misspelling in a google search. I was very touched and inspired by this post for 2 reasons. One, I'm not a christian, but I don't mind it that others "talk" about their god and I actually enjoy reading their thoughts. Two, it seems whenever I post on my personal blog about something "personal" I lose readers. They seem to drop like flies. I've never been too concerned because my personal blog is for ME, not random strangers. But your post got me thinking about how maybe my blog might touch (or irritate) someone just when they might need it. Even if they unsubscribe, they were "touched!"Thanks for putting some of yourself out there in blogland today!

Kelley, I just love your openness and your love for the Lord. I would encourage people to emerge themselves into God's word, the Bible, to know Him better and know His will better. I thank Jesus for you and your faithfulness!

I think you sharing is very brave and I loved reading every word. I am new on my walk with Christ and love reading such encouragement from people like you. You are a beautiful person inside and out and I don't even 'know' you LOL!!! but it shines through!